The course attracted press and investment interest. Publication of a textbook and workbook based on this class is now in the works!
We ♥ Learning
Group Work
Sweet New Skills!
This is an intensive 8 hour a day class open to both undergraduates and graduate students looking to develop research and analysis skills. The course approaches research skills from a foundational perspective: students are asked to a close-text analysis of a philosophical text (such as Plato's Phaedrus or Nietzsche's Truth and Lies in an Extra-Moral Sense) and analyze the argument based on classical rhetorical techniques.
For one module of the class, I used a design thinking exercise to show how critical thinking gives us strange insight into everyday objects we take for granted. Students were asked to:
- Do a formal visual analysis of the ad.
- Interpret the effects of the formal qualities.
- Assess the intended audience affects.
- Articulate assumptions.
- Analyze the ad's persuasive effectiveness.
- Make assessments and recommendations on how to improve the ad on abstract and formal levels.
The most rewarding outcome was a student apporaching me and exclaiming, "I thought this was weird at first, but now I feel like I'll use it everyday!"
More quantifiable outcomes included:- This class consistently received the highest intructor evaluations of any course offered in the Open Education Center.
- Students consistenly had higher GPAs and lower attrition rates during studies abroad.
- Students had higher employment success rates to the top investment firms after graduation.